Source: BlackAmericaWeb.com

Illinois Gov. Bruce Rauner said he didn’t know a candidate for Chicago mayor planned to hand out $200,000 to churchgoers at a service where the governor also spoke, a scene that prompted opponents to accuse the Republican of trying to buy votes for his own re-election. Rauner, who’s facing a tough fight for a second term this fall, said he learned “after the fact” that Willie Wilson distributed the cash and checks at an African-American church Sunday morning and was “pretty upset” about it. Wilson, a Democratic businessman and philanthropist running for mayor, sent a release to news media early Sunday announcing the 2019 mayoral candidate would give away $300,000 to help homeowners pay “staggering” property tax bills. WGN-TV video showed him peeling bills from a thick wad of cash and handing them to people as they filed by him. The Illinois State Board of Elections said Wilson didn’t break any campaign finance laws because the money came from his non-profit foundation, not his campaign fund. Wilson’s campaign also denied he was trying to buy votes.